Leafs beat Canucks for third consecutive win

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Vancouver Canucks by a final score of 4-2 on Saturday night. The Leafs have won their last 7 home games versus the Canucks while outscoring them 29-17 during this stretch. The buds have won 3 straight games for the first time since February 1st.

Tyson Tearing It Up

Leafs’ defenseman Tyson Barrie picked up a pair of assists against the Canucks on Saturday night. It was Barrie’s 12th multi-point game of the season. The 28-year-old Victoria native has been on quite a tear as of late, registering 6 points in his last 4 games. Barrie has played terrific under new head coach Sheldon Keefe and is on pace to finish the season with 48 points.

Matthews Chasing History

Auston Matthews is having himself quite the season as he scored goal number 45 against the Canucks on Saturday night. The 22-year-old American born superstar is on pace to finish the season with a career-high 96 points. Matthews is also on pace to break the Leafs’ all-time franchise record of goals scored in a single season with 56.

An Unlikely Hero

With Jake Muzzin, Cody Ceci and Morgan Rielly all injured on the backend, there is opportunity for other defenseman to get into the lineup and push the Leafs into the playoffs during this critical time of the season. Martin Marincin has been one of the players that have been called upon in this desperate time. Although there has been consistent criticism of numerous aspects of Marincin’s game, the 6 foot 5 Slovakian defenseman had himself a game to remember as he scored the game-winning goal against the Canucks on Saturday night. It was Marincin’s first game-winning goal of his career. Over his 7 NHL seasons, Marincin only has 5 career goals but his team is a perfect 5-0-0 when he scores a goal.

The Leafs will head down south as they go on their California road trip to take on the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night and the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night. The Leafs have a golden opportunity ahead of them next week as the Sharks, Kings and Ducks comprise the bottom 3 teams in the Western Conference. Toronto currently has a 5 point cushion in the standings over the Florida Panthers for the 3rd and final spot in the Atlantic division. The Leafs could really put a dent in the Panthers’ playoff hopes if they are able to remain hot during their California road trip.